THOUGHT FOR TODAY BY
ST. ANTHONY ZACCARIA

If through perfect humility you will be able to know objec tively yourself, only then will you be.

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4301 Hecktown Rd
Bethlehem, PA 18020

The Miracles of St. Anthony Zaccaria

During his lifetime, Anthony Mary
is not known to have worked many miracles. But
that gift of working miracles which he had not on earth, God granted him and in
a very high degree after his death. Very numerous are the prodigies worked
through his intercession. In olden times, clear testimony of this is given by
many writers. Giuseppe Bresciani in his Crown of Cremonese Saints, speaking of Zaccaria,
says expressly, "that after his death the Lord worked many miracles and
favors." Agostino Barbosa, the celebrated jurisconsult,
in his work on Ecclesiastical
Rights (1628), writes of Zaccaria, "that as he was holy in
life, so he was illustrious after death by the glory of his miracles." And
the same is confirmed by other writers among whom may be mentioned Angelica
Gonzaga.

Of the miracles worked in the
past, we shall mention only the one with interesting value connected with the
miraculous picture that is preserved and placed for veneration over the altar
where the body of the Saint lays.

Father Faustino Premoli, rector
of the Barnabite College in Crema, on the evening of the 15th of July 1747,
kneeling before a picture of Anthony Mary, prayed fervently that God would
vouchsafe to render the Saint illustrious by some new and striking miracle in
order that the Barnabites might be enabled to solicit the process of his
Beatification. The next day some devout persons were praying as usual before
the picture when behold they saw it surrounded
by a bright light and the Servant of God, letting the lily (which before was
upright) fall down on his left arm, raised his right hand from his breast and
blessed them as a priest does at the altar. While this happened, Father Premoli,
who was facing the people (for he was giving them the blessing with the relic
of the Saint), seeing in them a certain awe and
wonder, asked what had happened, but no one dared to speak. The apparition over
which they exclaimed: "Oh! What a miracle, what a wonderful miracle we
have seen!" happened. Those who were present related what had occurred. A
standing proof remained in the picture itself; neither the
left hand of the saint nor the lily took their former position. This was
verified not only by Father Premoli, but also by many persons who remembered
how the picture had first been painted; among these was the painter Tommaso
Picenardi who had taken some copies of it.

In this century, we can say
without fear of making mistake that the graces
received through the intercession of the Saint can be counted by hundreds, but
space will only permit us to give only the three
miracles that served for the canonization of St. Anthony Mary, and a few other
miraculous incidents that happened in later dates.

The First Miracle

The first miracle happened in Castagnolo
Minore near Bologna in 1876 to a 20-year-old peasant,
Vincenzo Zanotti. As a consequence of a muscular
sprain, Vincenzo developed varicose veins in the
left leg. These soon formed ulcers. Vincenzo’s state continued for 45 years until his suffering became unbearable for him. Having lost
all hope of regaining his health, Vincenzo, by
the advice of one of his friends, turned to St. Anthnony Mary Zaccaria. With
all the fervor of a soul full of faith, he made first a novena, and then a
triduum to the Saint. He applied the pannolino, which he had, to
the part affected. (A pannolino is a small piece of linen that has touched the
bones of St. Anthony Mary.) God rewarded his
faith, for at the end of the triduum he found the leg perfectly cured. He and those present, including
the doctor, cried out: "It’s a miracle!" Vincenzo, being completely
restored to health, took up his usual work. Six years later, an investigation
was made in Bologna on this truly miraculous cure. He deposed on oath:

"I,
from that day on, have always been perfectly
well."

The Second Miracle

Much more striking is the
following cure which took place in Cremona on the 21st of May 1873. Paola Aloni, 42 years of age, was suffering from an
incurable organic spinal deformity which had
obliged her to stay in bed for seven years. Her
sufferings increased to such an extent as to allow her no rest, night or day.
For four months, she had been unable to take any nourishment except a little
broth. On the 15th of May 1873 the Last Sacraments were administered to her,
but she continued to recommend herself to St. Anthony Mary, to whom she had, for six months, been
making novena after novena, being convinced of the cure
the Saint would grant her. "I have never been as ill as I am now,"
she said to her confessor, "and this shows the favor is about to be granted.
'You will see a great miracle.'" As a matter of fact, the miracle was not
delayed. On the morning of May 21, she felt an irresistible power urging her to
rise from bed. Fearing that she would not be able to stand on account of her physical weariness, she asked to be touched with the
relic of the Saint, and wonderful to relate, in a moment she regained her
strength, and without help, she rose from bed.
Her malady disappeared—she
was perfectly cured! All day people came to see her, desirous of seeing for themselves the
great miracle that had happened.

The Third Miracle

The third miracle happened to a
blacksmith named Francesco Aloni, a brother of the person whose cure we have
just related above. Francesco Aloni, 52 years of
age, had suffered for three years from ulcers and sores in his leg caused by
varicose veins. The corruption that issued from these sores was frightful, and
the sufferings of the poor man daily increased. In the summer of 1876, his
state became so serious that he was forced to
stay in bed. He was brought to two different hospitals,
staying there for several months. Then
he was dismissed, his case having been pronounced chronic and incurable. The
poor man left the hospital crawling, rather than
walking, and unable to get home, he dragged himself to his sister's house which
was near. Seeing him in such a sad state, her sister, Paola, said to him, as if inspired from on
high: "Francesco, have you never recommended yourself to the Blessed
Zaccaria?" To this he never answered but burst into tears. The sister too
wept, but full of confidence, she touched his leg with the relic of the Saint,
saying: "Through the intercession of Blessed Zaccaria may God restore
you!" For a while both remained silent, then Paola added, "Francesco,
promise me to make a novena to the Saint." The brother promised and left
the house in better spirits. Francesco and Paola prayed fervently for the nine
days. On the ninth day, the 23rd of October 1876, the leg was straightened.
What a moment that was! The leg was perfectly healed!
Francesco ran to his sister's house anxious to
relate the miracle. "My Paola”, he cried, “I am
cured! Tomorrow I will return to work". So he
did. So complete was his cure that from that day on he
had enjoyed perfect health.

Other Miraculous Signs of the Saint

A young Italian lady, Eliza
Greco, was in great trouble, seeing no prospect of the obstacles to her
marriage being removed. She was engaged to an officer, who on account of his
financial circumstances and also his health, found it utterly impossible to
carry out his wishes. To make matters worse, there was no prospect of his being
ordered to the African Colonies. He wished to retire from the army, but this
did not lessen the difficulties, for there were drawbacks also to his getting
other appointments as those to whom he applied seemed to think it strange that
he should wish to change his profession. In the meantime, the lady to whom he
was engaged, being in the habit of attending church at the Barnabites, and
having heard in a sermon of the many and wonderful favors obtained through the
intercession of St. Anthony Mary, made some special promises to the Saint and
began a novena in his honor. Her faith was very soon rewarded, for contrary to
all expectations, the officer obtained a splendid appointment that put an end
to all their difficulties. On the 3rd of May 1899, they hung near the tomb of St. Anthony Mary
a silver heart that might serve as a lasting token of their loving gratitude to
their heavenly Benefactor.

December 1893

A young girl named Adalgisa
Comelli, who worked as mistress in the Istituto
Girelli at Marone, on the Lago d'Iseo, was attacked by a disease beginning in a
sore behind the right ear. This remained a deep and open wound till at last the
bone became diseased.

Every remedy was tried and
several specialists consulted, but nothing could be done. Year after year,
things grew worse. At last, towards the end of October 1898, it was decided
that an operation must be performed and a part of the skull removed. The poor
girl worn out from pain, and frightened at the thought of the terrible
operation, asked to have it postponed for nine days. By the advice of the
Directress of the Institute, she turned with all her heart to St. Anthony Mary.
Using no further remedies, but consecrating these nine days to the Saint, she
begged his help, recommending all of herself to him. She also received from the
Directress a relic of the Saint to put under her pillow.

What was her joy to find, on the
morning of the ninth day, that she had not only slept all night and no longer
felt any pain, but that she was perfectly cured. The wound was healed, and
there was no longer any trace or mark of the disease that had caused her such
frightful sufferings for eight years. She at once had a Mass said in
thanksgiving to St.Anthony Mary.

May 1899

Gustavo Mortara of Canneto
sull'Oglio had, for fourteen months, been suffering from complication of
diseases. His whole body was one immense sore, and gangrene
had already set in. He was given up by the doctors and awaited death. In God he
could not hope, for he hardly knew that a God
existed. His wife, who was a fervent catholic, used every means in her power to
get him to go with her to visit the altar of St. Anthony Mary. She used every
persuasion, and with the help of others, at last induced him to go with her to
the church. Entering, he asked what altar that might be where he saw so many
votive offerings. She told him it was the altar of St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria
who worked such wonderful miracles and cured so many who invoked him.
"Oh" he said with a sneer, "that means to say I suppose that I,
too, shall be cured." His wife, always sweet and gentle to him explained
that to be cured, one must pray. After great persuasion, she made him promise
to join her in saying an Our Father, Hail, Mary and a Glory Be for nine days in honor of St.
Anthony Mary. She stayed by his bedside, night and day, which required more
than human strength and courage, for the exhalations from the sores which
covered his body made it almost impossible to approach him. She prayed without
ceasing and got others to pray for him. The sick man, however, kept his word
faithfully and read (for he did not know a prayer) the Our Father, Hail, Mary and the Glory Be
every day. On the morning of the fifth day of the novena to the Saint, after having slept all night, he awoke and
cried out joyfully to his wife, "Teresa, I am cured! I am perfectly well!
That saint has cured me; it is certainly he who has done it."

And it was true, the sores were
all perfectly healed, his skin, that had been the color of bronze, had assumed
its natural color, his appetite had returned and, in a word, he was in perfect
health.

On the 11th of May 1899 he came,
with his wife and daughter, to the church to
thank St. Anthony Mary for the wonderful miracle. He had a Mass of thanksgiving
celebrated at his altar, promising to make a votive offering at his shrine and
to recite in honor of his heavenly Benefactor an Our Father, Hail, Mary and a Glory Be
every day as long as he lived.

September 1899

Antonio Marazzi, a father of a
family of eight, the eldest of whom was not 21 years of age, fell from a
hayloft. His head, having come with great violence against a sharp stone, was
terribly cut. He was at once brought to the hospital where it was found that
the wound was more than 3.5 inches deep. Almost immediately, tetanus, or what is more commonly known as lockjaw, set in. After a most careful examination, several
doctors pronounced his case hopeless. One of his daughters and his
sister-in-law (both of whom were hospital nurses), seeing that there was no
longer any hope, turned to St. Anthony Mary. They put a pannolino on the sick man, had a
Mass celebrated at the tomb of the Saint and began a novena in his honor. This
great saint, so sweet and loving in life, and now ever ready to sympathize with
those who in their sorrow turn to him with love and confidence, crowned their
faith by working a wonderful miracle in their favor. The man was restored to
perfect health. The cure was so complete that, as was testified by his
sister-in-law on the 2nd of September 1899, he was able to take up his usual
employments, just as though he had never been ill. These facts are not only
attested by eyewitnesses, but are recorded in the hospital register where not only the case
but also the circumstances connected with the cure
are minutely described.